Welcome to a fun little adventure that myself and Mirrah would like to take you on! Are you brave enough to face the grinch? Could you persuade the grinch to take part in the E festive celebrations?

This is open to everybody and anybody, and if you don't want to face the beast, you're also more than welcome to celebrate Christmas here in whichever way you would like. Hang decorations, try and wrap more presents, sing songs!

Please note that all content should be kept PG-13.

Twas the night before Christmas, when all through the houseNot a creature was stirring, not even a mouse.The stockings were hung by the chimney with care,In hopes that St Nicholas soon would be there...

Down in the valley lay a small town, protected and secluded with a very merry community. A fresh blanket of snow lay over the shiny decorations as festivities had begun, and a month of celebration was all but due. With a grand tree in front of the town hall, and presents piled high for the citizens to open on Christmas morn. A tradition stretching back years, decades, centuries, even...

Yet in the dark it moved with spite and with anger. Singing in December? No, not again!

'Curse these festive creatures!' It spoke with hate as it lifted a present. 'Their cheer and happiness rising up from below, disturbing my peace with festivities and happiness and songs. Songs! Why can I not enjoy myself for once, without snow and song and presents.'Horns twinkled and the small little beast, thick with green fur and dark eyes grinned. A mouth full of sharp red teeth shone as it had an idea. A splendid idea!

'I shall take their Christmas from them, wrap it up tight. And my Christmas shall be to savour delight in their misery!'

With a laugh the presents were piled into a sack, and the vile little demon took each and every gift, dragging the sack back to his cave up the hill with such delight.

'They'll never find me, they'll never find their presents! No no no no!'

Such a peaceful town as this had never needed guards or a watch. All slept blissfully within their beds after another day full of joyous song and dance, none the wiser about the spite brewing in the cave that overlooked their amicable little valley. Even when the vile creature came through and collected every single gift that had been collected beneath trees, none awoke, for they trusted in the spirit of Christmas to keep everything right. Besides, it took great effort to throw oneself into the daily preparations and festivities that lead up to such a great and enjoyable holiday.

The treachery was not discovered until mid morning, when the youngest of the young woke up his mommy and daddy because he needed to go "wee-wee." What chaos it caused! What despair! There was crying in the streets, and frantic running and screaming that solved all of nothing!

A voice of reason rose above this clamor though. The small town's Mayor stepped up and, with calm filled words and the aid of a megaphone, subdued the crowd before her.

"Have no fear, citizens of Christmas Elliquiy! We'll call upon saviors to help us track down this perpetrator and bring our precious Christmas presents back! I'll draft the notice to all the Elliquian realm! Right now!" One motion of her hand was all it took. A desk was plopped in front of Mayor Mirrah and she pulled a plume from her hat (a Mayor must always be prepared for any circumstance, after all), and began to scribble on a piece of blank parchment. Everyone gazed at her, shivery in their various garb while standing under the gigantic and lavishly decorated pine tree in the chilly, snowy village square.

My dear fellow citizens of Elliquiy:

We are in dire need of assistance; a foul monster terrible act of thievery has happened in Christmas Elliquiy. All of the poor innocents who slumbered peacefully in their beds have awakened to a heart aching disappearance of presents. The thief must be captured and the presents returned! Christmas is drawing closer by the day, and if the presents are not brought back for their recipients, what kind of Christmas will they be having this year? Tradition would be shattered!

If you have courage and conviction to catch this criminal, please stop by my offices for your temporary Keeper of the Peace badge.

Help me us restore order and you shall be duly rewarded!

Ever in your debt,Mayor Mirrah

Mayor Mirrah stamped her seal beside her name when she was done. As the black ink dried on the parchment, she lifted it up the notice and read it to the crowd.

"This also goes to everyone in this crowd. Tell your neighbors. Tell your friends. Tell your families. Let us all get through this together, by helping one another!" With a flourish, Mayor Mirrah returned her plume to her hat and nodded to her assistants, who carried her desk back inside. "Do we have any volunteers? Who will help me help you save our Christmas?"

Lynnie looks around so many quiet distraught faces, Christmas has always been something special and this thief stole it. She had to help. Raising her hand as her voice rang loud and clear, "Mayor Mirrah! I shall help!"

Jackson glanced around as well, his eyes resting only briefly on Lynnie before he spoke softly. "I shall help too. Just tell me where you need me, Madam." He said loud enough for the Mayor to hear him.

Mayor Mirrah, who was all too aware of how living in such a peaceful place might affect denizens, beamed with pride at Lynnie and Jackson--her very fist two volunteers. The crowd around them cheered with loud hurrahs interspersed with a few preemptive yells of "We're saved!"

"Excellent! Please step forward, brave souls!" her voice blared through the megaphone which she still held up to her mouth. "Oh, right." She put the megaphone down and turned it off before she continued. With a finger, she beckoned the pair to step closer. "Thank you for putting the safety of our Christmas Traditions in such high regards! I give each of you two choices: The first, is to patrol the town at night for suspicious activities, and the second is to try to find clues, some kind of evidence, of who our perpetrator is, and where they might have gone."

Star raises an eyebrow in disbelief at the terrible news that was announced and wonders why someone would want to ruin the holiday season for anyone. Especially when it was meant to be a time togetherness and cheer! She looked to the two who came forward first and ponders for a moment as the mayor of the town thanks them before putting the microphone down. Star then quickly makes her way to the trio just in time to hear the request.

"If you don't mind... may I join?" She asks awkwardly. She was hoping that she wasn't being rude to interrupt but she wanted to help any way she could. "May I suggest we do a combination of the two? Look for clues while we patrol the town?"

Mayor Mirrah, while she waited for a response from the first two volunteers, handed her megaphone to an assistant to put away, then accepted a clipboard from another and once again pulled her feather from its inkwell from her hat. That was when she noticed another person stepping from the crowd. She smiled widely at the third volunteer.

"Yes, welcome, you are welcome to join! And that is a great suggestion indeed. The trail is growing ever colder though, and we may get more snow this evening, so it would not do to wait too long. I had hoped to get enough volunteers to have a group patrol while the other does some tracking. Still, it is already fantastic that we have three wonderful people such as yourselves to help us all!" She scribbled something on the parchment on her paperclip while she spoke, then looked at her three volunteers. "Might I get your names? In order for you to get your badges, we must have names, after all."

Penny slowly raises her hand, glancing left and right to make sure she's doing this right.

"I can do my best...But I can't guarantee I won't run screaming at the first sight of the beast. Unless he's handsomely dressed and lives in a magnificent castle with great renovation and resale potential..."

Mayor Mirrah nodded happily at Penny. "Good! I have no notion where the culprit might be, but you can track them down! Don't do anything rash on your own though. There's no knowing what they're capable of. Just return and report to me if and when you find them, and we can get a group together to deal with rescuing our presents!" She scribbled the names of her volunteers and who knows what else down on the paper on her clipboard.

"Alright, do your duties, ladies and gents! Everyone, back to your homes! If anyone else decides to volunteer for this job, just come by my offices." With that, Mayor Mirrah made shooing motions and retreated to her office, which was right there in the courtyard, facing the giant, heavily decorated tree.

A note for current and prospective players on this thread:

This is an Open World RP Event. You may choose to join the Grinch in his machinations to sabotage Christmas, help the citizens save their presents, play as a citizen going about your day, or even as an adventurer coming into town. It's entirely up to you. Your imagination's the limit! Just keep in mind that the plot arc will be pushed forward as we all go along. This is meant to be a light and fun thread, for everyone to enjoy, so don't hesitate to join in! The more the merrier, right?

Unlike most citizens of Elliquiy, Liam didn't spend his nights in blissful sleep, but sitting at his window, staring up at the skies and down at the snowy, empty streets, wondering what it would be like to have an uncommon day, something out of the annoying singing and joy and color that flourished during the day, only to be quieted by the moon and the stars each night. And it was during one of those wondering nights, when Liam saw a green... Thing sneaking through town, carrying a huge sack over its shoulder, a few colorful ribbons escaping at the top. In that moment Liam knew, that little green creature was stealing all the gifts, and taking Christmas away from more than a few.

This was his chance, Liam thought, to finally enjoy of quiet days, without bright, colorful lights, without loud singing and cheering voices. He grinned from his window, watching as the green creature disappeared and he went to bed, falling asleep and dreaming of a quiet and dark town.

At morning though, it wasn't silence what caused him to jump out of bed, but cries of children and screaming of adults. Liam rushed to his window, hands and nose pressed against the cold glass as he saw more and more people gathering at the square. A devilish grin sprouted from him, this was far more enjoyable than whatever they could sing.

Out of curiosity, he left his warm home and headed to the square where everyone gathered to hear what Mayor Mirrah had to say. Standing among the crowd, he noticed how people was slowly gaining courage and joining forces to help mayor Mirrah to save Elliquiy from a year without Christmas. He frowned and shook his head. This can't be! He thought, and slowly stepped back, unnoticed as he abandoned the square, and the town.

Following the direction that creature took last night, Liam first walked and then ran, hoping to find the thief and help it wipe Christmas from every land.

Presents were stacked high in the cave up yonder, in a curiously ironic tree-like fashion. It felt fitting to take such delight, a mocking of their system. How fun! As if it were his own Christmas, except nowhere near, perish the thought.

It was a curious cave, high up in the mountains. From there he could see all, right down into the town from the windows above. It was a house built in a cave, a strange and magical place, but tarnished with hate and black with spite and anger. Pure rage.Perhaps he should burn them, thought the beast as he relaxed in his chair. He was large and green, with long horns on his head and a hand full of claws. Warped by his hate and miserable existence. Perhaps he could open them, and burn the useless things but keep the goodies. The options were endless. An ideal, most perfect idea would be to open each and every present in front of the citizens and stamp and break them all whilst laughing.

Oh the choices!

How far was Christmas, could he give them some hope to wipe it right out from under their noses?

Liam ran, looking back from time to time, making sure no one followed, making sure to keep the town on sight just in case he decided to go back.

Uphill he went, and then it wasn't a hill anymore, but a tall mountain. Stopping his heavy steps, Liam looked up, eyes narrowed as he saw windows up there, wondering if that green creature would be staring back at him from there. Was it dangerous? Did it really know what stealing those gifts meant? Liam hoped so.

With a huff of reinforced decision, young Liam resumed his walking, slowly, step after step, leaving a long trail in the snow, as he made his way up to the creature's home.

At the entrance of a cave Liam once more stopped, peering inside, he wrinkled his nose, unsure if he should step in or go back home. Shaking his head, he gave one step, and then another, looking around as he called "Hello?"

Humming 'Grandma Got Run Over By A Reindeer', Penny climbed up onto the step ladder to hang the mistletoe above her doorway. Her legs disappeared into her red velvet skirt trimmed with white fur. It matched the red cap perched cutely on her blond hair, it's white fur rimming the edge and tipping the end of it in a white fluffy pompom.

Once the mistletoe was hung, she climbed down and collected the wreath with its merry red bow and hung it on the door. With a smile, she headed inside to decorate the big tree in her front window. From here, she could watch everything that went on along the main street in town. Not that she was nosy....but it was interesting to know what was going on...

Lynnie looked around to the other volunteers and was suddenly very glad she wasn't going after the Grinch alone. She was scared but she wanted Christmas, the noisy games, playing together meant more to her than the actual gifts. "I don't know what I can do to really help but I will do anything that you would like."

Penny poked her head out of her door and waved to Lynnie enthusiastically.

"Hey! You can help me decorate the tree! Just because there aren't any gifts, doesn't mean we can't have a rocking tree and some hot chocolate, right!? And I might leave some candy canes uneaten long enough to put them on the tree, too! How are you at singing....?"

One of the Mayor's assistants runs up to all the volunteers so far, handing them red rubber badges with pins in the back, in the shapes of prancing reindeer, and emblazoned with bright green letters:

C H R I S T M A SP R E S E N T SP A T R O LS Q U A D

Behind that in black, is a large symbol of conjoined "C P S" in scrolling letters.

"Thanks for your service to Christmas Elliquiy!" piped the short and rotund little man to each of the persons in turn: Lynnie, SithLordOfSnark, Starcry, and PennySludt. "The Mayor says, patrol and (or) see what you can discover." A wincing smile crossed his mousey features. With a little bow, he rushed off to take care of his duties.

The sound echoed. A question. A greeting? Perhaps, it had been a long time since the Grinch had heard a greeting, or even indeed having been spoken to. And up he stood with a flash, a frown on his face. So soon? They had come so soon for their presents?

Liam backed off, hesitantly, afraid of the green creature. But he was there for a reason.

"Um..." He gave a tentative step deeper into the cave, and then another. "Mr. Grinch?" Another step. "The people from Elliquiy are organizing a search..." Liam continued, looking up at the tall pile of stolen gifts, he smiled. "They want their gifts back." The young man said with a huff and clear annoyance in his voice. "I thought you'd like to know that." There, mission accomplished, right? Liam bit his lip, was it time for him to leave now or should he attempt to know more about the Grinch? As he doubted, his feet took him around the tree of gifts and a little wicked grin pulled from his lips as he read a few known names hanging in pretty labels from the colorful wrapped presents.

Penny, Lynnie... Jackson... Even one with the name of Mayor Mirrah. Them and many more, would know for the first time in their lives how a Christmas without gifts was.

Penny poked her head out of her door and waved to Lynnie enthusiastically.

"Hey! You can help me decorate the tree! Just because there aren't any gifts, doesn't mean we can't have a rocking tree and some hot chocolate, right!? And I might leave some candy canes uneaten long enough to put them on the tree, too! How are you at singing....?"

Lynnie spins around hearing Penny's voice. Giggling as she skipped over to her, "I agree, gifts aren't everything, I am all for decorating and hot chocolate! I'm pretty decent if I do say so myself. Mind you, I'm a soprano so upper notes are my life!" Perhaps while the gifts were gone the meaning behind it wasn't it. For her this is what it is. Spending time with others, sharing love, perhaps that nasty old Grinch just needs some love?

Alexx was considered a brave woman. She’d faced down all kinds of terrors in the town and hadn’t shown an inch of fear. Now though, walking into The Grinch’s cave with Liam, she felt like she may just be scared. “Come on Mr. Grinch, we know that you don’t like Christmas, but...well, we do. I know you may have had some horrible dealings with the people of the town in the past, but those people are different now. Please Mr. Grinch?” She asked.

After getting the badge from the Mayor's assistant, Jackson headed outside and towards the perimeter so he could start patrolling. He wasn't sure what else his job entailed, but he would see what he could do.

Perhaps she had snuck in under his shadow, or perhaps she had followed him. He laughed at Alexx's words and shook his head. Kind words were kind indeed, but he needed more than a pitiful pleading from a woman who reeked of fear.And so what if they liked Christmas?

He didn't, and that was it.

So his attentions turned to the man who warned him of the plot, and took interest in his tree of gifts. What did he want?

Penny handed Lynnie a steaming mug of hot chocolate and a bowl of marshmallows, then led her to the window seat at the front window. Soft, comfy cushions in red and green, and blue with white snowflakes, and silver and gold, all made the seat warm and welcoming. With a wink, she reached under one of the cushions and produced to pairs of binoculars.

"This seat, right here, is the best spot for watching from the comfort of the indoors. I fully intend to live up to the badge the mayor gave me, but why get cold doing it, right?" She handed one pair to Lynnie.

"Do you even know what this Grinch looks like? Or what we're supposed to do if we see him? And IF we catch him, how do we get all the presents back!?"

Happily taking the mug of coca and marshmallows, following Penny inside her lovely warm home and let out an excited giggle at the comfy spot she found. It was an absolutely perfect view of Mt. Crumpit and the main road in and out of E-ville. Perhaps this was the best way to be on lookout duty. Putting a few marshmallows in the mug before setting the bowl down. Taking the binoculars in her now empty hand she nodded. "I completely agree Penny. I despie the cold except for making it all the more welcoming to be cuddling in front of a fire."

Shaking her head to the next set of questions, she wasn't sure at all what they were supposed to do besides keep a look out of the Grinch, "I don't know. Who even knows why he took the presents. It isn't the reason for the season after all. I mean hasn't he ever read 'A Christmas Carol'? He would know that Christmas is about being together with friends, family, making new friends, building memories, and of course love."

Without missing a moment she started singing, "Life is full of sweet surprises, everyday's a gift. The sun comes up and I can feel it lift my spirits. Fills me up with laughter, fills me up with song. I look into the eyes of love and know that I belong. Bless us all, who gather here. The loving family I hold dear. No place on Earth, compares with home, and every path will bring me back from where I rome. Bless us all, that as we live, we always comfort and forgive. We have so much, that we can share, with those in need we see around us everywhere."